


Asylum

by Str4y



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Asylum, Bottom Bang Chan, Character Death, Death, Demonic Possession, Disturbing Themes, Fear, Ghost Hunters, Ghosts, Graphic Description, Horror, M/M, Mental Instability, Possession, Smut, Survival Horror, Team Dynamics, Top Kim Seungmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:48:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23108002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Str4y/pseuds/Str4y
Summary: Chan and his ghost hunting team didn’t actually believe in ghosts. Seungmin’s team did believe in ghosts. Chan and Seungmin just wanted an excuse to see each other, so why not combine their teams and investigate a creepy asylum together? What could go wrong?They were in over their heads.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 42
Kudos: 146





	Asylum

**Author's Note:**

> Like always read the tags please. This is basically a major character death fic with ghosts. 
> 
> If I forgot anything let me know please 💀💛
> 
> Also I did edit but I fell asleep a few times so excuse any mistakes I’m sorry lol

“You’re kidding.”

Chan scrunched his nose in a pout, “no, I’m not.”

Minho took a deep breath, leaning against Changbin, hands deep in his stupid bright yellow jacket. “You’re making us do a show with the competition?”

“Yeah...why are we working with those crazies?” Hyunjin asked, slipping his lollipop from his lips. 

“First of all, they aren’t crazy.” Chan gave Hyunjin a look of disapproval, the younger just arching his brow in annoyance, “and secondly, views equal money. Their audience will be our audience.”

Minho rolled his eyes, “we’re doing just fine, aren’t we?”

“I’m down.” Hyunjin shrugged then, “I mean they’re all crazy serious but whatever.” 

All it took was for Chan to mention the money part. 

“It’ll be fun, plus it’s good to have the extra bodies for this place. It’s huge.”

“We’ve done asylums before, this is nothing.” Minho hissed. 

“Not this one. This one’s like...we shouldn’t even be going in there.” Changbin deadpanned, pushing Minho off of him, “didn’t a chemical spill kill an entire floor of patients?”

“Decades ago. It’s all cleared now.” Chan sighed, “please don’t tell me you’re worried about ‘ghosts’.” Chan said, fingers giving air quotes as he shot Changbin a worried look. 

“Ghosts? Psh…” Changbin laughed nervously, settling back into his chair, “they’re not real. I’m more concerned about the chemicals down there.”

“I have gas masks.” Chan told him, settling onto the coffee table, “look...it’ll be fun.”

“Why do you want us doing this?” Minho spoke up, “you seem serious.”

“I mean...money,” Chan started with a nervous laugh of his own, “it’ll be fun to see them scared the whole time too, right? They take this shit seriously.”

Minho smirked, “can I scare Jeongin?”

“Honestly, the fans want you two to kiss.” Hyunjin spat, getting a sharp jab to the rib as Minho’s face altered with disgust. 

“Our fans are delusional. I hate that kid. He’s so annoying.” Minho was completely serious. Chan couldn’t count the amount of times Minho had said awful shit about Jeongin. He genuinely didn’t like the guy. 

“Not the fans fault you like to mess around.” Hyunjin shot back, rubbing his rib with a frown, “That jisung kid, right? Remember him?”

“That was one time—“

“Hush hush. We’re going and we’re going to have a good time.” Chan interrupted, “no fighting. No bitching, just a good time.”

“If we don’t die from chemical inhalation.” Changbin signed. 

Chan took a deep breath, waving around one of the gas masks from the box of useless gear, “it’ll be fine, Changbin.”

Honestly, Chan thought it would be golden. He figured not only would they rake in amazing views and buzz, but the money. The money would be amazing. 

The opposing team was famous. Really famous. People who believed in ghosts all around the globe watched their show. Something about the raw realness of their show and reactions got people hyped. 

Of course Chan thought it was a joke. They were overly serious. They swore that none of their footage was altered or fake, but Chan wouldn’t believe that for a minute. He knew all of the editing tricks. He’d used them himself. Chan knew very well how to trick the human eye into believing the screen. 

Yes, Chan and his team were frauds. But they were comedians. Geniuses. They were the group of idiots going out and chasing ghosts and giving amazing reactions to the tiniest things. Chan was lucky for Minho and Hyunjin. They were so over dramatic even without the ghost thing, but add some darkness and spooky noises and they were crumbling in fear. 

But they all knew it was fake. Minho even helped Chan set up cameras and noise machines during live shows. Hyunjin pretended to be possessed once—an actor, and Changbin was a master with the cameras. He could trigger flashes and spike their EMF. He could fuck with the room temperatures too. And nobody knew a thing. 

It was easy, the ghost hunting business. For years Chan had never once caught anything absurd or bizarre. Just white noise and crickets. And any orbs had always just been bugs flying around the nasty places they’d ventured. 

Ghost hunting was a joke. And it was a goldmine. And their fans were suckers. 

It helped that they were all attractive too. Their fans would believe anything they said or did, no matter how dramatic, just because they were good looking. 

And Chan used that. He used it well. 

——

“Hey Chan, what’s the real reason we’re doing this?”

Minho was observant, which got in the way of Chan’s plans a lot. Chan had tried to get genuine fear from his friend for years only to be played each time. 

“Just money and views.”

Minho’s lips curled into a smirk, “it doesn’t have anything to do with their leader?”

Chan inhaled, “their leader?”

“Kim Seungmin,” Minho raises his chin, eyes half-lidded as he clicked his tongue, “you’re doing this to be alone with him, aren’t you?”

Chan swallowed thickly, fingertips grazing the gas mask from earlier

“Right?”

“How’d you find out?”

Minho took a seat beside Chan, snatching the gas mask and placing it around his head, sliding his yellow hood over his head as messy blue strands of hair sticking all over the place, “you’re easy to read. Also, I read your texts.”

Chan glared in Minho’s direction, “you read my texts?”

“Uh, duh. Best friends are supposed to tell each other everything.”

“Like when you forgot to mention you and Han Jisung?”

Minho tore the mask from his face, “it was one time!”

“Uh huh,” Chan laughed, leaning back until he lay completely against the table. 

“It’s cute. You two are kinda cute.” Minho sighed, resting back beside Chan, “you should tell Changbin and Hyunjin too, though. Don’t leave them out of the loop.”

“Nah, they’ll tattle on us. Seungmin’s team doesn’t know either…”

“Oh, a secret romance? How long has this been going on? Some of your sexts were pretty steamy.”

Chan took a deep breath, “you read our—,”

“Duh.”

“Awhile. It’s been awhile now. We met at that con last year and...I don’t know, we just clicked really well.”

“You’ve been phone fucking for a year?”

Chan grumbled at that, “Minho…”

“No, that’s like cute I guess but dude seriously...you better be meeting up to fuck.”

Chan flushed, mask tight in his hands, “honestly...while you guys are searching that place we’re going to be set up in the control booth...”

Minho giggled at that like a child, turning on his stomach, “so this is like a whole scheme to fuck the rival leader?”

Chan couldn’t help but smile wide, “Don’t tell anyone or I’ll kill you.”

“Channie! When’s the last time you got laid?” Minho asked teasingly. 

Chan took a deep breath, turning to face his friend whose face was stretched into the biggest grin, “Just keep it on the down-low.”

“That long, huh?” Minho laughed, resting his face into his crossed arms at the table, “I wish you safe passage.”

“Wow thanks,” Chan snickered. 

He was doing this to get alone time with Seungmin. That was the truth. Seungmin was going to spend time with Chan of course, but he was going for the show too. And the ghosts. 

Chan thought ghosts were stupid. Seungmin thought they were very real and very beautiful. Seungmin knew how Chan felt about ghosts, and instead of exposing or calling Chan a fraud he agreed to disagree and...they’d honestly worked perfectly despite that major flaw. 

Ghosts or no ghosts, Chan planned on enjoying this.

Enjoying the fuck out of it. 

——

“They’re late, are you sure they're the serious squad?” Hyunjin laughed, popping his lollipop as he adjusted the lens on his camera. 

“They got stuck in traffic.” Changbin yawned, resting his head against the steering wheel of the van they’d rented to hold all eight of them. 

“Seungmin’s messaged me apologizing like eight times, believe me they’re still the serious squad.”

Minho snickered at that, propping his feet up on the row of seats, “eight times, huh?”

Chan shot Minho a look, he wouldn’t tell the other two would he?!

“I’m shocked it wasn’t eighty.” Hyunjin cut in, resting back into his seat, adjusting the fuzzy orange and purple colored sweater, “I’m still surprised you have his number saved.”

Chan arched his brow, “what do you mean?”

“Dude, he had to contact them somehow.” Minho interjected, giving Chan a sly smirk. 

“True,” Hyunjin yawned, throwing his long arms back in a stretch. 

“They’ll be here soon, promise. And then we can head up there.” Chan sighed out, taking a hand through his messy brown hair. 

“Or now.” Hyunjin yawned again, turning in his seat to wave out the window. 

Chan parked up at that, popping the back of the van opened to reveal Seungmin mid knock, tiny smile appearing at his lips. 

His school-boy cardigan was cute. 

“Finally!” Minho gasped out, sliding his feet from the row, “we thought you guys chickened out.”

Seungmin shot Minho a sly smirk, tilting his head in annoyance, “oh we’d never chicken out of a hunt.”

“I almost did,” Jisung announced, pushing passed into the van to flop beside Minho. A little unexpected, but definitely interesting. 

Minho seemed visibly shaken by that as well, “Yo—“

“Why didn’t you call me back?”

Chan let out a cough, completely turning his attention from that inevitable conversation as Minho’s eyes shot open, ushering Seungmin on board who was quickly followed by Jeongin and Felix. Chan had never met them, they were ten times more...young than he expected. They were like babies. 

“Hi,” Felix chimed, giving a polite bow as he took the empty seat beside Chan, thankfully Seungmin had squeezed into the window seat on the other side of Chan. 

“Hi,” Chan replied, the comfort of Felix’s Australian accent warming his heart a bit. He remembered how nice it was to watch Felix on their ghost hunting episodes. He was always so funny, overreacted to everything, and that voice...instant comfort. It reminded Chan of home. 

Jeongin was cold. A tad skittish and kept to himself, though he was definitely the most serious of the group when it came to ghosts. Minho had reason to dislike the kid. But Chan didn’t mind either of them. They weren’t important. 

He was here for Seungmin. 

——

Introductions went as well as they could have. Minho upturned his nose to Jeongin, getting huffs and puffs from Jisung. Hyunjin sat there laughing the entire time, Changbin doing his best to keep himself composed from all the noise. 

They were a mess. But honestly, Seungmin’s team wasn’t so bad. They were sweethearts, all of them. 

Yeah, Jisung and Minho had a little fight about how Minho had left him hanging after they fucked at a club, and then Jeongin may or may not have encouraged Jisung’s anger by talking about how Minho wasn’t serious and didn’t care about anything—but things settled. 

And then it was nightfall, the van still moving as Hyunjin drove, switching so that Changbin could get some sleep. After the introductions and petty arguments, it was silent. Hell, Jisung was even asleep resting on Minho’s shoulder. 

“Is everyone else asleep?”

Seungmin’s voice was soft and low. 

“I think so.” Chan sighed, pulling the blanket that Seungmin had brought over them, “they yelled at Minho too much.”

Seungmin had the faintest smile, “I’m glad we’re doing this.” 

Chan felt Seungmin’s fingers trail along his thigh, “yeah...figured it would be fun.”

Seungmin peeked around before leaning in close, lips ghosting Chan’s jaw as his hand moved to press against Chan’s bulge, causing him to writhe at the sudden attention. 

“Seungmin everyone’s around,” Chan snickered, Seungmin’s warm breath against his neck causing goosebumps to cover his arms. 

“They’re all asleep,” Seungmin whispered, unzipping the obnoxious button on Chan’s obnoxiously bright orange pants, “plus we talked about this.”

Chan smirked, turning his face to brush his lips across his rivals, “ah, you did say you were really good at…” Chan paused, checking to make sure Felix was sound asleep on the other side, “handies.”

“Big soft hands.” Seungmin laughed, lips finally colliding in soft smacks. They couldn’t be too loud, Hyunjin was driving and despite him tapping happily to the trot, it wasn’t loud enough to cover any...noises. 

Chan let out a shaky breath as Seungmin’s long fingers wrapped around his length, giving slight tugs underneath of the blanket, lips glued together like it was their first time. 

In a way it was. They’d kissed after meeting, briefly. But this? This was new. Chan had finally found an opportunity to be with Seungmin. And he planned to continue seeing him after this, freely. 

They were just testing the waters. 

Chan gasped as Seungmin’s thumb pressed against his slit, sending his hips bucking slightly. 

“Aren’t you pretty…” Seungmin cooed before tongue parted Chan’s lips, wrapping around Chan’s own tongue feverishly. 

Chan couldn’t help but release soft little moans, moving a hand to rake along Seungmin’s stomach underneath his shirt.

Seungmin continued to move his hand, kisses nearly silent as Seungmin reached his free hand to cup Chan’s chin. Thumb rolling along his bottom lip. 

Heaven. 

Cut short. 

“What time is it?” Jisung stirred, eyes shut tight as he shifted from across the vehicle. 

Seungmin kept his hand still, leaning on Chan’s shoulder suddenly, “we should be there soon.” Seungmin’s composure was impeccable. 

Jisung just nodded, resting back into Minho comfortably. 

“We should wait till we get alone time.” Chan sighed nervously, resting into Seungmin as he pulled Seungmin’s hand from his length. 

Seungmin upturned his nose briefly, “fine.”

——

Chan wasn’t sure how long he’d slept. Waking up next to Seungmin was nice. He smelled so nice? 

“Are we here?” Felix asked, bright and alert beside Chan. How was he so awake right now? 

Chan stretched himself, careful not to disturb Seungmin who was still fast asleep besides him. 

“Yup,” Hyunjin sighed, turning in his chair to offer an annoyed look—he must’ve been sick of driving, “you guys wanna pack up and head up there? We need to go through the back gate to get in. It’s like pitch black outside so I doubt anyone will see us.”

“Is there security around here?” Jeongin asked questionably, already lifting his bags over his shoulder as he smacked the side of his camera. 

“Just usual patrols. We’ll be fine going through the back. Chan you have the cutters right?” Hyunjin shot Chan an interesting look. Maybe he’d heard what they were doing last night.

Jeongin seemed a little bothered by that. 

“Yeah,” Chan inched from the comfort of Seungmin, keeping him steady against his seat to avoid him from falling as he pulled a heavy bag from under the seats, “cutters. The gas masks. Everything’s in here.”

“Good.” Hyunjin smirked as the van finally came to stop. 

Woods. Mass woods. It was so dark that Chan could only see the trees through the headlights in front of them. 

Good. This would be a fun show. 

“Let’s not waste anymore time, we’ll be hitting prime ghosting hours soon.” Hyunjin snickered, shaking Changbin awake as he unbuckled his belt and shirt he car off. 

“Those don’t exist.” Jeongin even rolled his eyes, pushing the back door apart as he hopped out, camera already up to his eye. 

“He’s so fucking annoying.” Minho was awake, tugging his yellow hood over his extreme bed head, “can’t wait to get in there to get away from him.”

Oops. 

Chan felt bad about that. Seungmin and him had decided early on that Minho and Jeongin would be together for this show. They’d decided everyone based on some bullshit reasons. Minho was his best friend, but they still wanted views. And the fans would never forgive either group if Minho and Jeongin weren’t shoved into a room together. 

“Okay, lets go.” Chan announced, stirring Jisung into a yell loud enough to wake the dead, “we’ve got a lot of setting up to do.”

——

Seungmin had his chin at Chan’s shoulder, adjusting the camera before them as he leaned around him. He was doing it on purpose. 

“So Minho finally got over it, huh?” Seungmin laughed as one of the monitors flicked on to the room that they’d sent Minho off to install some cameras. They needed visuals in the rooms they’d be exploring just in case their handhelds died out. Plus Chan had a few tricks up his sleeve to scare the shit out of them later in the night. 

“He’ll be fine,” Chan smirked, enjoying Seungmin pressing against him as he leaned in further, both arms within kissing reach. He really wanted to kiss Seungmin’s bare arms for some reason. They were long and pretty. Seungmin was long and pretty. 

Chan clicked his walkie, “Minho, it looks good.”

Minho gave the camera an annoyed look before hopping down the step ladder they’d set up, giving Chan a scowl as he hauled it off. 

Yeah, Minho was definitely pissed about being placed with Jeongin. The fans had no clue just how much Minho despised that kid. But views...and Minho would be okay. Maybe those two could learn something from one another. Either that or Jeongin would kill him before the night ended. 

“Hey, one of the cameras won’t turn on.” Seungmin pursed his lips, squinting at the far right top corner, tapping the black screen, “didn’t Hyunjin set this one up?”

“Yeah...it’s the cafeteria. It keeps going in and out.” Chan sighed, “it flickers every once in awhile.” He smirked, turning in his chair to press his hands to Seungmin’s hips, “are you scared?”

“Chan—“ Seungmin bit his lip, bringing a hand down to pet Chan’s cheek, “you know how I feel about this stuff. If the camera isn’t coming on I think it’s because we aren’t supposed to be there. Can we avoid it?”

As much as Chan didn’t believe in any of the ghost shit, he really liked Seungmin. A lot. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him by being an insensitive prick. 

“You want to? That was Hyunjin and Jisung’s room, but if you’re that worried..”

“I just think it’s a good idea to maybe avoid it for a bit. When the cameras come on maybe it’ll be safe to proceed.” Seungmin looked behind his shoulder, the hall behind them empty and silent before leaning down to press soft kisses to Chan’s face, fingers tickling along Chan’s neck before resting at his chest, “just a little…”

“Chan.” A voice on the walkie. 

Chan growled at that, pulling Seungmin to sit on his lap before pulling the walkie up to his lips, “what’s up?”

“You guys have visuals on downstairs, right?” Changbin. 

Chan took a deep breath, adjusting himself with Seungmin in his lap, tapping the camera that had Changbin’s gas mask covered face taking up the screen. 

“Yeah I see.”

“Good. If you notice either of us stumbling tell us to get out of here. The air is really…” Changbin glances down, “it’s pretty shit down here. I’d keep everyone on their respective levels.”

“I’ll keep an eye on you guys, just keep the masks on while you’re in the basement.”

“Sure!” Changbin pulled away from the camera, going towards Felix again. Probably to adjust more cameras. 

Felix. 

Chan hadn’t noticed how still Felix was in the background. As Changbin pulled away from the camera, he was so statuesque. It was weird…

“They’ll be fine. I don’t think the air quality is that awful. And they’re not going to be down there that long, anyways.” Seungmin interjected, wrapping his arms around Chan’s neck, lips grazing along his ear. 

Chan couldn’t contain the moan as Seungmin bucked his hips against him, tongue flicking against his ear, “Seungmin we should be watching the guys…”

Seungmin pulled away, eyes full of lust, “they’ll be fine. We won’t be that long.” He whispered, fingers unbuttoning those stupid orange pants, “come on Chan, let’s live a little while we can. It’s not like you believe in ghosts anyways.”

Chan shuddered at that, glancing to the cameras behind Seungmin once more. Everyone looked fine from what he could tell. Their handhelds were all still on, each member's face on screen. Felix must’ve been scared though, he was so still. And maybe Jeongin was arguing already with Minho about something. But nothing too major. 

“How are Jinnie and Jisung?” Seungmin whispered, rolling his hips teasingly as his hand made its way underneath Chan's waistband, “they good?”

“They’re in the bathrooms. They seem alright...they’re just kind of talking.”

“Cool.” Seungmin smirked, tongue filling Chan’s ear with enough force to have Chan trembling, head thrown back slightly. 

Good thing they had all the time in the world. 

——

“Can you please shut up,” Minho was getting irritated. No wait, he was beyond that. Because fucking Jeongin wouldn’t leave him alone. And after a certain point in the night he’d grown really fucking annoyed with him. 

“Minho I’m not even kidding anymore, something keeps touching me!”

“Dude, calm down. I know you guys want people to think you’re really seeing ghosts or whatever but we’ve only heard a few noises. There’s nothing touching you.”

Jeongin let out an annoyed growl, “why would I make this up?! Just because you guys don’t care about any of this doesn’t mean we don’t!”

Minho just rolled his eyes, keeping his camera out and his flashlight on the highest setting. Jeongin was right beside him. No he was practically right on top of him, constantly causing Minho to trip over the boys shoes. 

“How do you not feel it…” Jeongin rubbed his neck, halting in the hall, “it’s so prevalent. It’s so…” Jeongin checked the temperature, “it's so warm yet…”

“Yeah, normal temp. Let’s go.” Minho sighed, continuing down the hall with an eye roll. Annoyed wasn’t even a way to describe it. 

“Minho I seriously think we need to leave—“

Minho growled again, making his way towards the end of the hall, “look, I know you’re scared or whatever but nothing is here. Jesus you’re going to be fine. Chances are no ghost would want to deal with you anyways.” 

Jeongin didn’t reply. He probably got the hint. 

“God you’re so—“ Minho turned, empty air behind, “Jeongin?”

Minho flashed his light around, no doors open to the medical hall they’d gone down. It was silent. No noise. No Jeongin. 

“Look I’m sorry I’m being an asshole,” Minho rolled his eyes again, starting back down the hall from where they’d come, “seriously, we don’t have time for this. I don’t have a map of this place. If you ditch me I’ll never get out of this maze.” 

No reply. 

Minho took a deep breath, flashing his light into the room beside him. It was dusty, untouched and silent. 

What the fuck? 

——

Chan had his head back, mouth parted in a pleasure he hadn’t felt in so long as Seungmin’s mouth grazed his throat, honey moans filling the air. 

Chan hadn’t been with anyone in a long time, and maybe they shouldn’t have slept together so fast into their budding relationship—but it was beautiful. Seungmin was considerate and soft and knew just how to talk to him. 

He was really enjoying himself. Truly. 

This was a good idea—no it was a marvelous idea. The way Seungmin filled him was absolutely enthralling. He was losing grasp on time. Losing grasp on everything that wasn’t Seungmin. 

“You alright?” Seungmin laughed, adjusting himself against Chan, swollen lips on display as Seungmin detached from Chan’s neck. 

Chan just laughed, fingers carding up into the mess of ashy colored hair, pretty waves consuming Chan’s fingers, “I’m great. Really great.”

“You look so ready to burst.” Seungmin teased, rolling his thumb along the slit of Chan’s cock, giving a deeper thrust than he had the entire night. 

“Fuck—“ Chan kept laughing, grip in Seungmin’s hair as the younger man fucked him into the desk. 

“Chan!”

Chan whimpered at that in annoyance, pulling Seungmin’s lips to his own, rutting his hips against his to block out his friend ringing through the walkie. 

“Chan this is serious, are you guys pranking me?”

Seungmin halted, pulling out way too quickly for Chan’s liking, falling back into the rolling chair before ushering Chan to settle in his lap, though annoyed that Seungmin interrupted their high, he complied. 

“Minho what’s going on?” Seungmin was composed, running his hand up and down Chan’s stomach with an apologetic look. 

Chan sighed, letting his head fall against Seungmin’s bare shoulder. 

“Where did Jeongin go?”

“He’s not with you?” Seungmin questioned, leaning into Chan to grab the mouse, clicking around the screens as if he were searching for something. 

“No...and I don’t have any idea where he went. If you guys are teasing me just tell me and I’ll fake a reaction...not that I’m not already completely paranoid.”

“Minho, why would Jeongin prank you?” Seungmin pursed his lips before the expression faltered into sorrow, “his cameras not even on…”

Chan turned in his place, blinking through the lust to find that his camera was indeed shut off. How hadn’t they heard? There were supposed to be chimes anytime a camera cut out?

“So you’re not? Where the fuck did he go…?” Minho sounded panicked. 

Chan took the walkie, taking a deep inhale as he examined the screen, “Minho, where are you at?”

Minho gave Chan an annoyed look at the monitor, “the same hall I’ve been in.”

“Minho you’re not in a hallway, what room are you in?”

Minho’s eyes widened, and his breath was visible. He seemed visibly shaken. Visibly terrified by the fact he wasn’t where he thought he was. He was still staring at the camera, mouth gaped as if he wanted to say something. 

“Minho are you in one of the rumored punishment rooms? There’s chains everywhere…” Seungmin whispered, tapping the screen behind Minho where chains swung...swung?!

“Minho if you and Jeongin are trying to scare us it’s not gonna work, man—“ Chan started before halting his words. 

No he wasn’t joking. The expression plastered across Minho’s face said it all. He wasn’t kidding. Wasn’t teasing. Minho was a good actor, but Chan could see the tears forming in his friends' eyes. And he could see how rapid his breathing had become. 

“I don’t...I don’t remember coming in here. I don’t…” Minho paused, tears springing free as his mouth gaped suddenly. As if he really did see something horrific. 

And then his camera cut. 

——

Changbin didn’t believe in ghosts. He didn’t believe in much of anything. He was apathetic with the world, and most things in it. He liked this thing his friends had going. It passed the time. 

“Felix, you picking up anything?”

Felix was interesting. The second they’d reached the basement he had become silent. Pliant to whatever Changbin had suggested. Maybe he was frozen in fear or something. 

“How’s your mask? You’re not inhaling anything, right? I knew we shouldn’t have come down here...there’s still lingering chemical smell everywhere.” Changbin complained, smacking the top of one of their cameras that was set up, brief flash of light causing him to hiss in annoyance. “Stupid thing is broken…”

Felix didn’t answer, he just stood there staring at the cameras. 

Changbin expected Felix to be better company. He’d seemed so bright when they met, “Hey Felix...are you feeling alright? If you’re scared we can head on out. There’s nothing down here at all.”

Felix stayed silent, head tilting to the side briefly. 

Changbin just blinked back, heavy sigh as he turned the camera again. It wasn’t even on. Why was it flashing when it wasn’t even on? 

“Jesus, Chan must be really working on the fear factor for this show, huh?” Changbin shook his head, turning the camera only to get a succession of flashes to his eyes, causing him to let out an annoyed cry and stumble back, shielding his eyes from the constant flashing. 

“Chan can you stop?!” Changbin radioed in, getting loud static in reply. 

What the fuck? 

Changbin reached out in front of him, turning the camera so it’s flashes directed towards the wall instead before lowering his arm, blinking his vision back together. 

He was annoyed. Extremely. He didn’t expect Chan to add in things without discussing it. That wasn’t like Chan at all. 

“Fucking Chan...I’m going to kill you for that.” Changbin radioed in again, receiving the same static back, “asshole…” he murmured before turning, empty space behind. 

Great. Now Felix had disappeared too?

“Felix...are you okay?” Changbin frowned, turning back to see that the camera was still flashing against the wall before shaking his head in defeat, “we should head out.”

There was a rustling in the room across from him. Was Felix playing games now, too? Changbin didn’t have time for this. 

“Felix, let's go back up. I’m sure the others found something more interesting than we did—“

Changbin only saw it briefly. Felix. And then Felix's handheld camera. 

He didn’t expect Felix to tackle him down with the most gut wrenching screech. And he didn’t expect a camera to smash against the mask over his face. And he really didn’t enjoy the taste of blood pooling in his mouth as Felix continued, screeching maniacally. 

Felix yanked Changbin’s gas mask off, stinging hitting his face along with the extremely cold air. 

What the fuck? 

Changbin couldn’t even register at this point what was happening. Felix was attacking him. Felix was seriously smashing his camera against Changbin’s face, breaking bone and tearing into him with every heavy force. 

Felix looked wild in the eyes, bloodshot and wide. Did the chemicals get to him? 

Changbin whimpered as Felix stopped smacking into him, head fuzzy and light as Felix pulled his own gas mask off. 

“Felix…” Changbin couldn’t even see anything anymore. His vision went red as bright lights filled the room, blinding him. 

Changbin wasn’t sure what was happening after that. Because it went dark. 

Much like his camera.

——

“Changbin’s cam is out. Felix’s too…” Seungmin was shuffling his clothes on, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the monitors. The only cameras that were on were Hyunjin and Jisung’s, and no matter how many times they’d radioed for them to return to the control panel, they’d been ignored. It was like they weren’t even receiving their call. “This is bad...Chan you’re positive they’re not kidding around?” Seungmin asked, shakily tying his shoes. 

Chan had never seen that expression from Minho. And Changbin wouldn’t tease him like this. Whatever was going on was very fucking real. And Chan knew that he needed to find his friends. Get them out of that place, fast. 

“We should find Hyunjin and Jisung first—“

“What about Jeongin!? He’s missing too—“ Seungmin panicked, eyes wide. 

Chan pulled his boot on fast, grabbing Seungmin’s face in his hands, “listen, we need to grab those two first. If we can get to them, then we have more eyes and ears to find the others, okay? We need to band together before someone else gets lost.”

Seungmin whined at that but nodded, eyes darting back to the monitors, “we have to hurry...they’re not too far from us but...they’re heading to the cafeteria I think.”

Chan took a deep breath. The room Seungmin had wanted them to avoid. They’d tried to tell them not to go there...but the static…

“Let’s go, okay?”

——

Minho’s head stung. No, everything stung. Minho could feel the blood between his fingers, and he knew for sure that the red staining his yellow jacket wasn’t his own. 

But he couldn’t scream. He was too scared to. He had no clue who was with them. All he knew was that...he wasn’t sure he’d ever recover from this. Minho was positive that he would never be able to get the image from his head. 

Jeongin. That kid he despised so much. That poor innocent kid...he didn’t deserve that. 

There was no joking. There was no faking what Minho had witnessed. 

Jeongin was hung. He had no idea how or why, but he was hanging. His face was blue, body limp. 

He tried to take him down. He did. But the thick chain was wrapped so hard around Jeongin’s neck to the point Minho had to just let him hang there. 

Minho wasn’t sure what had happened directly after that. He knew he was hit hard with something. Maybe. He knew the back of his head was bloody. He knew that it had to have been his blood. He knew. 

“Chan?” Minho gripped the walkie tight, no answer. Just static. “Chan...I don’t know if you can hear me but Jeongin is...I don’t know how but I’m freaking out. We didn’t plan any of this Chan, is this real?! I’m scared—“

Minho stopped, pulling himself up slowly. He hated the stickiness in his hands but he couldn’t wipe them anywhere. His jacket was covered in blood too. 

“Hello?” Minho whispered, sobs breaking through his already cracking voice, “is anyone…” no, he wouldn’t ask that. He knew he’d get no answer. “I can’t see anything please just...if this is real I’m sorry we came here I just…” Minho was hyperventilating. 

He was alone. He was never alone when they looked for ‘ghosts’

“Hello?” 

Minho whimpered at the sound of chains swinging around him. He didn’t recall coming into this room. The second Chan had mentioned he was in one of the wards rumored punishment chambers he panicked. And then he saw Jeongin...swinging with the chain tied around his throat. 

The air was so tight, and Minho was freezing as he inched his way forward. He wasn’t sure where he was. He couldn’t see much around him. 

Chains started to swing wildly, crashing together. There was no draft. No sound. Was something in there with him?

Minho paused, letting out an uncharacteristic and hysterical sob, fingers trembling in place. 

He was so fucking scared. Nothing they’d ever experienced up until now had ever terrified him this badly. Yeah, he’d been scared of some noises and shit they’d picked up but he always wrote it off as fake. 

This wasn’t fake. He couldn’t write this off. 

“Chan?” Minho wasn’t sure who else to call for. Chan was in the control room. He was supposed to be monitoring. Why didn’t he call him back? Why wasn’t he helping them? 

Minho brought the walkie to his lips, the faint light of the buttons lighting up the snot that was hanging from Minho’s chin. He didn’t realize he’d been trembling and sobbing that badly. He felt like a child. And he hated that. 

“Chan...I’m really fucking scared. Where are you guys?”

Silence. No static. Just silence. 

“Chan please answer this isn’t funny...Jeongin is...he—“ Minho heard faint whispering. 

Chan? 

“Chan?”

A loud wail filled his ears, causing Minho to release a loud cry, throwing the radio across the room. 

He wish he hadn’t. The second the light lit up its path Minho was screaming. The chains. They were moving like snakes on the ground. It was impossible. There was no way this was happening to him. He was seeing things. Minho must’ve hit his head—

No, he had just hit his head.

He was on the ground, being dragged across the room by his legs, hood falling from his hair as he was hoist up into the air so suddenly. This was real. 

Minho couldn’t contain his screams, and he couldn’t help but thrash around. The air around him was so empty yet he knew chains had been here just seconds ago. If he could just grab—

Minho panicked again, the feeling of rusty chains tightening around his legs and arms, holding him into place. 

Panic. 

Ghosts were real. 

He could barely breathe through his sobbing, eyes darting around wildly for any source of light. Any source of anything that wasn’t this pitch black terror. 

His stomach tightened, lungs starting to fail him as the chains wrapped around him, tighter than he could have ever imagined. 

Minho was losing breath, and fast. He couldn’t even scream out for Chan or Seungmin. Couldn’t mutter a stop or call for help. He was left breathless as the chains dug into his chest and throat. 

He couldn’t even cough. 

“Minho?” The radio. Chan. Chan was there. 

With bloodshot eyes and a constricted voice Minho released the best sound he could, a strained cry. It was all he could offer at this point. 

He could feel the chains literally digging through his flesh as they tightened. His wrists and ankles, he could feel the chains shattering his bones. 

This wasn’t real. There was no way this was real. 

Minho felt the chain tighten at his neck, eyes rolling back. 

Maybe it was real. There was no way this wasn’t real. 

The last sounds he registered were the crunching of bone and disgusting showering of his own blood. 

——

Chan had seen and heard enough. The camera kept cutting into Minho though Minho didn’t even have his camera. He looked petrified and after time was upside down? He sounded so fearful. At points Chan was convinced he could hear...he didn’t want to think about that sound...the blood curdling screams followed by the crunch of...he didn’t want to think about it. 

“He’s hurt. Minho’s hurt.” Chan held the walkie tight as he followed Seungmin down the hall, “he sounded like he couldn’t breath and then this sound of like water or something I don’t know where he is but Seungmin we have to hurry!”

Seungmin was shaky, holding Chan’s hand tight as the older man held the walkie to his chest, “we will. We will.”

Neither of the leaders had anything but panic in their beings. Seungmin was stressed before the brief response from Minho, but hearing the nerve wracking cry and then the sound of...it sounded like splattering. Like someone had thrown paint across the floor. Whatever it had been...it was disturbing. The worst part was that Minho’s walkie was still relaying sound to them. Every few steps they could hear dripping. 

Dripping. 

Seungmin’s stomach was in knots, “the cafeteria is close. Hopefully they’re here…”

“Seungmin...do you think they’re okay?” Chan didn’t believe in ghosts. He didn’t believe in that. But he did believe someone must’ve been stalking them. Maybe someone was playing a sick joke on them. The random outbursts from Minho were enough to have Chan on edge. He really wished he could get into contact with the rest of his team. 

“I hope so. God, I hope this isn’t a joke…”

“Seungmin did we make a mistake coming here?”

Seungmin took a deep breath, “we knew people had died here. Dozens. But...I didn’t know they were so angry.”

He thought they were ghosts. 

“Seungmin...you know I don’t. Look if there’s any chance someone followed us here—“

“Chan, I really like you.” Seungmin kept moving, hand tightening around Chan’s, “but you can’t seriously think all of these instances are from a person...right? You saw the screen…you heard what I hear on the walkie…”

“I heard my best friend panicking...he could have been attacked by some psychopath!”

“Chan.” Seungmin stilled, turning to offer a sympathetic look that made Chan’s heart knot, “you saw what I saw. I know it was dark and kept cutting in and out but you saw the...chains. You saw them moving. They were—“

A muffled moan. 

Chan took a deep breath, pulling Seungmin close, “what was that?” He whispered, goosebumps traveling up his arms. 

“I don’t know…” Seungmin replied low, tugging Chan towards the source of the sound. 

Chan could recognize them even if the sight was horrific and gruesome. He could recognize even if this person was covered in blood, breathing rapidly and clutching his chest. Chan knew who this was. 

“Changbin!” Chan pulled from Seungmin’s grasp, crouched down beside the broken man before him. There’s no way a ghost did this. They were being stalked. Attacked. Chan ripped his jacket from his back, pressing the warm cloth to Changbin’s face. He couldn’t tell how bad it was. His face looked smashed in. Completely unrecognizable...that is to anyone who wasn’t Chan. Chan knew his boys apart. He knew this was Changbin. Even if his face was wrecked. 

Changbin was alive. Breathing rapidly and couldn’t open his eyes, but he was alive. He’d been hit over and over with something. He had cuts and bruises all over his face. They needed to clean him up. 

“Chan?” He sounded so weak. How long had he been like this? 

“...you’re not wearing a mask. The gas…”

“We’re on the main floor, Changbin.” Chan whispered, sitting his friend up against his chest, “what happened?”

Changbin whimpered at that but quickly gave them a run down on what had happened. Felix. It made no sense. Felix would have never done that. It wasn’t a random attacker, it was...Felix? Seungmin struggled to grasp it too, he refused to believe Felix was capable of what had happened to Changbin. 

But Changbin wouldn’t lie. Not about something so intensely serious. 

“Changbin stay awake, okay?” Chan felt pressure in his chest, “we’re gonna get you out of here.”

“I am awake…” Changbin whined back, “I just can’t...my eyes. I’m awake, I swear.” He shuddered, gripping onto the coat that Chan had placed around him. Chan hoped his eyes were okay. But all that trauma to his face...how was he even alive?

“We need to get going…” Seungmin’s mood had disintegrated, “we have to get to Jisung and Hyunjin.”

“Okay okay…” Chan sighed before pulling himself up, struggling to drape Changbin’s arm around his shoulders, “cafeteria?”

“Cafeteria?” Changbin spoke out, tugging Chan back, “no...the cafeteria is,” his breathing was so jagged, “we can’t go there.”

“Why not?” Seungmin asked, continuing down the hall unbothered, looking back constantly to wave Chan along. 

“We just can’t. They’re not even there…” Changbin frowned, “we can’t go to the cafeteria.”

“How do you know?” Chan asked before the sound of something falling in the distance alerted them, Chan gasping for air at the sudden disturbance that was way too close to Seungmin. 

“Crayons?” Seungmin leaned down to pick up a broken crayon, “why are there crayons here?”

“Children’s ward...they must be there, right?” Chan figured. No why? That made no sense? Why would they be in the children’s ward when it was on a different floor?!

Another crash. This time a teddy bear flung across the hall, beady eyes flashing in the flashlight in Seungmin’s hand. 

“We need to go…” Seungmin started forward, checking the map he’d brought along. 

Why were they so compliant and accepting of things? Why was Seungmin leading them upstairs to the second floor? And why the fuck were they going to the children’s ward? Jisung and Hyunjin were on the fourth floor. There’s no way they were in the children’s ward!? Why was Chan panicking inside while he was confidently following the other half of his brain? Was this place really haunted or was he losing his mind!?

His walkie clicked on again, stalling at the top of the stairs with Changbin panting in his grasp. 

A scream. 

——

Things had been both uneventful and boring with Hyunjin and Jisung. Jisung has gotten scared from a few noises but overall...he was fine company. The two of them actually got along pretty well. 

“When do you think they’ll radio in?” Jisung asked, checking the radio that had only produced static the last half hour. 

“Who knows,” Hyunjin sighed, lollipop at his lips, “I trust Chan.” He did. If anything was wrong Chan would have told them. 

“How do you think the others are doing?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d be so cool to hang with.” Hyunjin snickered, giving jisung a friendly shove as they made their way around the bathroom. 

Jisung smiled at that. Hyunjin could tell why Minho slept with him. He had a weird aura to him. But it was a nice one. And he was so easy to talk to. He wasn’t annoying and he was only as dramatic as Hyunjin was. He was a good guy. Hyunjin liked the company a lot. 

“How do you think our leaders are doing?” Jisung asked, causing Hyunjin to nearly combust into laughter, “why the face?” He asked, blinking in surprise at the clear strain on Hyunjins mouth. 

“They’re probably doing really well.”

“What do you mean?” Jisung asked, grazing his fingers along the rusted sink. 

“They’re fucking. Totally.” Hyunjin smirked. 

Jisung blinked in surprise, mouth wide, “oh?”

“I was driving when they decided to have a little handjob fun in the backseat.”

Jisung slapped Hyunjins arm, mouth wider, “no way!”

“Yes way!” Hyunjin laughed again, holding his stomach as he popped the lolly from his mouth, “guarantee they’re doing this just to hang out.”

Jisung wiggled his nose, “stupid leaders...who else do you think is hooking up?”

“Considering Changbin and I are straight as shit, probably no one.” 

“There’s no way you’re straight.” Jisung teased, “no straight boy sucks a lolly the way you are right now.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes at that, offering up another laugh, “sorry to break it to you, I’ve got a girlfriend at home.”

Jisung mouth gaped again, “I don’t want to fuck you!” 

“Everyone wants to fuck me—“

There was a crash across the room, causing Jisung to let out a soft whimper of surprise. 

“What was that?!”

Hyunjin let the lollipop hang from his mouth lazily as he flashed the light along the tiles, catching shards of glass on the ground ahead. 

“You still recording?” Hyunjin asked, approaching slowly. 

“Y-yes!” Jisung smacked the camera capturing his face, giving a cheesy grin like he’d really forgotten they were recording for a show. 

“Good.”

Hyunjin didn’t really care if ghosts were real or not. He just liked the money that came along with the job. It was good money. People were suckers for this shit. He leaned down, taking a shard from the ground, “how did this break?”

Jisung took a deep breath, angling the camera up to the corner where there was an obvious break in the mirror, “it looks...like the break happened from the inside.”

Hyunjin pursed his lips at that before pulling himself up to examine the mirror, “yeah...the glass is sticking outward. Like something punched it.”

“God this is insane!” Jisung was actually a little excited, “but...I wonder if we should leave or…”

Hyunjin tossed the glass behind him, “yeah...maybe we should head out.” 

As Jisung pried the bathroom door open, Hyunjin couldn’t help but let the lollipop slide from his lips, eyes widening in awe. 

They weren’t in the hall. They were in...a room. 

“Cribs?” Jisung inched back into Hyunjin, camera shaky, “is this the children’s…? Is this a joke?” He forcibly laughed, giving Hyunjin an annoyed look. 

“No…how the hell would we fake an entire room…?” Hyunjin presses passed Jisung, fingers reaching to brush along the side of the crib, collecting the dust. It hadn’t been moved in...ages. Hyunjin pushes slightly, watching the floor as the lines of dust dragged along with the crib. 

Wow. 

“Nah...we didn’t fake this, Jisung.”

Jisung was still standing by the bathroom door, camera shaky yet focusing around the room. 

“What the hell...the children’s ward is on the second floor right? On the opposite side of the building…”

Hyunjin couldn’t really believe it either. 

“We should get back to the hall—“

Hyunjin turned. 

Wall. 

No Jisung. 

He took a moment of staring at the empty space of the tattered wallpaper behind him, “jisung…?”

Hyunjin didn’t do drugs. He didn’t believe in ghosts. 

Oh god what if the chemical spill really had affected them?! 

“Shit…” Hyunjin let his lollipop drop as he turned to face the room. It was a lot more menacing without Jisung there. And a lot more lonely. 

“Hey chan…” hyunjin raises the radio to his lips, faint whispering and static. Whispering? “Am I on the fourth or second floor?”

Static. 

Hyunjin drew a deep breath before continuing into the room, eyes alert at everything around. 

It was quiet. This must’ve been his brain playing tricks on him. Changbin was right, the chemicals were definitely getting to them. 

A giggle. 

No. Fuck this. 

Hyunjin’s eyes widened as he ran forwards, reaching the door ahead quickly, breaths panicked. 

That was no giggle he’d ever heard. No giggle Chan had ever recorded and used. 

Hyunjin pried the door opened, eyes in terror at the room he’d opened up to. 

The same fucking room.

Hyunjin must’ve had chemical poisoning. He must have. 

“Chan…? If you can hear me I think we need to get out of here my heads spinning.” 

Static. 

“Shit…” Hyunjin staggered forward, making his way through the room again, giggles growing as he opened the door again. 

The same room. 

Dread washed over Hyunjin. He must’ve been so sick. He was seeing things. Illusions. He was hearing things. He must’ve been worse than he thought. 

“Fuck...I don’t wanna die here.” He laughed, stepping slowly through the room to reach the next door though he was positive of what he’d reach. 

The same room. 

And the giggling grew louder. 

——

“Help!” Jisung could hear Chan on the walkie as he scrambled up onto the sink that was shifting considerably from his weight. But this was his only option. 

The water was filling the room. Unrealistically filling the fucking room. And jisung had to get out. 

“Jisung?! Where are you!?” Jisung could hear Seungmin but he was panicking as he tiptoed up to the ceiling, scratching at the tile to pry it opened. 

Panic panic panic. 

“Jisung, answer please!?”

Jisung screamed as the water hit his ankles, mirror in front of him crackling. He had to get out. 

“Bathroom!” He cries back, finally pushing the tile away. Why it was so hard to move despite being such weak material had Jisungs head spinning. 

No he was just spinning in general. 

“I’m scared I don’t know what’s going on. I have to go!” Jisung called back before dropping the walkie into his coat pocket, desperately grabbing at the sides of the panel before jumping once, completely missing his angle as he stumbled back down into the sink. 

The sink was cracking. And the water was crawling up his calves. 

He jumped again, this time able to pull himself upwards, ignoring the darkness of the ceiling as he pulled his legs up, sitting shakily on another tile. 

God he hoped they’d hold. He had no other option. 

Jisung took a moment to breathe. The water seeming to stall in place below. Though Jisung wasn’t about to test the depth. 

Jisung took the walkie from his pocket, “Chan...Seungmin?”

There was just static. 

Jisung took a deep breath as he took his flashlight out, flashing it around the cobweb-ridden ceiling. It was so dusty too, jisung could barely breathe up here. 

But maybe that was the least of his concern. 

The dust. 

Jisungs eyes widened, the sight of something shivering just feet away to the side of him. 

Shivering. 

“H...hello?”

Why did he call out? 

Whatever he was looking at stirred. It was small. Like a...child!?

A ghost!?

“I...I’m Jisung. I…”

What the fuck was he doing?

Jisung had never seen a ghost so close. Never in this form. Never in such a terrifying place. 

“I...do you know a way out?”

He shouldn’t have been so friendly. Whatever this thing was stirred again, cracks from its angle on the ground sending Jisung into another panic, flashlight shaky as the beings limbs stretched in Jisung’s direction, head hung low. 

Jisung kind of wanted to take his chances with the water. This thing was...he didn’t hate ghosts. He wasn’t terrified of them. Well, he was but he wasn’t.

He should have been. 

As this thing turned slightly Jisung couldn’t hold his sob, the flashlight held tight in the deathly empty gaze of this creature. 

Was it even a ghost?

Jisung screamed at the sudden movement, the sudden quick unexplainable movement of limbs that crossed the tiles with ease, head of this thing rolling upside down. 

He’d never been more terrified. 

He panicked. Unable to hold as he crawled from the horrific sight back through the hole, water a lot deeper than when he’d left, consuming him as he adjusted to the darkness around him. 

Though it didn’t look it, the entire room was filled with water. And Jisung was holding his breath, cheeks and eyes wide and fear grasping in his chest. 

He couldn’t even scream as he looked up to see the monstrous face above him, spinning wildly from the hole as if it was waiting for him to pop back up. 

Jisung had no option, did he? 

He whimpered to himself as he glanced around. It was just too dark. Way too dark. He had no choice but to go back up for air. 

Shit. 

Jisung gazed back up, eyes wide at the sudden departure of the creature who had been staring at him just seconds ago. 

He didn’t like that he’d lost track. Didn’t like the tightness in his chest or the lack of oxygen that sent his head and lungs into panic. 

Jisung had to move. 

But he couldn’t. 

Jisung screamed the second he felt it. The long nails cutting into his ankle. He shouldn’t have screamed. The water was filling his lungs. 

Jisung looked down, another mistake. 

The ghost...the creature the...whatever it was, had its nails latched around Jisung as it’s wicked smile and upside down head mocked Jisung until sharp teeth had Jisung releasing another deathly scream. 

Thought nobody could hear. He couldn’t hear. 

And soon he couldn’t breathe. Or see. 

Or feel. 

——

Chans heart raced. 

Just moments ago Jisung had reached them, screaming bloody murder. And then there were splashes. Like he was in water. But that was impossible. There were no pools and the water had stopped running decades ago!

Whatever happened to Jisung...it was bad. Really bad. 

“He won’t reply…” Seungmin was understandably freaking out. He was shaking, smacking his walkie and holding back stressed tears, “oh my god he won’t reply…”

“Seungmin we’ll find him—“

“Is this a joke?” Seungmin asked shakily, eyes filled with tears Chan didn’t want to see. 

“No...Seungmin—“

“Changbin please, please tell me you guys are doing this for your show?”

Changbin’s reply was a solemn look. And Seungmin’s was a choked sob and collapsed to the floor. 

Drip. 

Chan's eyes widened at the sound of his walkie. 

“What’s that?” Changbin whispered, rubbing the side of his battered face. 

There were whispers. Minho?

“I...we forgot about Minho...he—“

“Minho?” Changbin was confused

Drip. 

“We have to find him. We have to find—“

“We have to find Jisung!” Seungmin panicked. 

“Jeongin we…”

How had they forgotten about Minho and Jeongin?

“Jeongin went...Minho...why did we forget them?”

“We have to find jisung!” Seungmin repeated before a loud static sound filled their walkie, causing Chan to throw it down as he covered his ears, struggling to hold Changbin. 

“What the fuck?” Chan whispered as the static stopped, the three men in silence. 

“Seungmin?”

Felix!?

Seungmin scrambled to collect the walkie, pressing it to his lips as he let out shaky breaths, “Felix are you okay!?”

“Yeah I’m fine.”

Changbin shuddered into Chan, “Chan…”

That’s right. Felix had hurt Changbin. 

“Seungmin—“

“Are you okay? Felix, where are you!?”

“Seungmin he—“ Chan couldn’t get through to him. 

“I’m in the cafeteria.”

Seungmin pulled himself from the ground, “are you alone?”

Felix was silent a moment. 

“He hurt Changbin, remember?” Chan whispered, holding his member tight. 

“I’m with everyone else.”

Seungmin seemed relieved. But Chan felt nothing but panic. 

“Everyone’s with you? Can I talk to Jisung? I’m so worried about him!”

Seungmin was insane. Losing it. There was no way Jisung was okay. There was no way. 

“Yeah, Seungmin I’m fine.” Jisung?

Chan felt sick. 

“Wait is...is Minho there?” 

Changbin gave Chan a panicked look. He was terrified. 

“Chan?” Minho. 

Impossible. Chan saw the screen. He heard his walkie go off just moments ago. Was this a sick joke?!

“Ah we’ll be there soon, okay?! Don’t go anywhere!” Seungmin sounded so happy. 

“Seungmin I don’t...I don’t think that—“

“They’re okay we have to meet up with them!” Seungmin held the walkie close, eyes wide and...way too dilated and panicked. 

“Seungmin, Felix hurt him...remember?” Chan responded, holding Changbin as close as he could, “he hurt him.”

“I don’t believe you.” Seungmin snapped, “I’m gonna go find my team.”

“Chans team was playing a prank.” Felix chimed. But that wasn’t true? 

“Excuse me?” Chan whispered back, “this isn’t a joke we—“

“I knew it.” Seungmin growled, clutching the walkie so tight, “I fucking knew it—“

“It’s not a joke, what the fuck!?” Chan wanted to say more. He wanted to fight it. But his head was spinning. He was spinning. Why couldn’t he fight it harder? 

“I can’t believe you lied to me, Chan.” Seungmin whispered before shoving passed down the hall, the faint sound of static filling chans ears again. 

——

It was so quiet. Hyunjin had given up on traversing rooms. He decided to sit along the wall, eyes shut as he hummed. 

He would die anyways. If he really had chemical poisoning affecting his brain this badly...it kind of made sense he was seeing all this shit. He was probably standing in a corner in reality. Just standing. 

Hyunjin kept humming, ignoring the giggling and static that kept bursting through his eardrums. It was so much. And nothing ever seemed to produce in the dark room. Just constant far off noise that sometimes lingered close. 

But nothing. 

He felt so tired, eyes sore from the emotional outburst he’d had just moments ago. He hoped his friends were okay. He hoped they’d called for help. He hoped Jisung had found a way through the madness. 

Stupid asylum. He cursed it for destroying his brain like this. 

Hyunjin’s eyes shot open at the sudden sound in the room. A new sound. 

He inched up from the wall, back still flush against the wall, “hello?”

“Hello?”

A voice he’d never heard. And it sounded like a child?!

Hyunjin kept his guard as he moved along the wall from the side of the room the noise had come from, eyes glued to the direction, “who are you?” He asked calmly. 

Yeah. He must’ve been dying. His brain was producing random people now, too. 

“Who are you?” It repeated with a giggle. A giggle too close to be in the direction he’d previously thought. 

Hyunjin drew a deep breath as he reached the door, though he was sure it was useless at this point. 

He didn’t want to talk anymore. He grabbed the door knob, surprised to find it locked. 

“Shit…” he cursed low, raking his hand through his messy hair as a disturbing noise filled his ears. 

It sounded like something was crawling. Yet there was absolutely nothing on the ground. 

Shit. 

Hyunjin shut his eyes tight before slowly angling his head back, eyes glued to the dark ceiling above. 

Shit. 

It was...very uncomfortable to see something up there, eyes staring down at him. 

He couldn’t hold his gaze. He quickly looked away, inching back down against the wall. 

It was useless anyways. He was seeing a fucking child on the ceiling watching him. 

Hyunjin shut his eyes tight as the disturbing sound of cracking limbs filled his ears. He bit his lip hard, clutching the walkie in his pocket tight as the shaky breathing around him grew. 

It wasn’t real. His mind was just going crazy. 

He hummed, hand shaky as he felt tiny fingers traversing across his cheeks. 

Oh god. 

It was so uncomfortable. The feeling. 

He couldn’t open his eyes. He just hummed, body covered in goosebumps as whatever was caressing his face giggled. 

Hyunjin couldn’t help it. 

It wasn’t real anyways. 

No. 

Shit was this real. It had to be. It was so real. 

Hyunjins eyes opened slowly before panic took over, eyes wide and mouth gaping in fear as the being before him, with its hollow black eyes and twisted mouth screamed in his face. 

And then those tiny fingers that were over his cheeks reached his eyes. 

And Hyunjin couldn’t believe the agony. 

The real agony of what he was facing as this...this thing pushed deep, screams and static from the walkie causing Hyunjin to finally release a staggered cry. 

——

Chan couldn’t believe this. He couldn’t understand what was happening. Why Seungmin wouldn’t listen to him. Why Changbin was just going along with things. Why he, himself wasn’t doing anything either. 

What was happening? 

“Felix?” Seungmin called out for the third time as they stood in the empty cafeteria. It was so quiet. Too quiet. 

Chan felt so much dread. So much unexplainable pain in his chest. Deep down he knew something was very wrong. But he refused to believe that it was ghosts or spirits...it wasn’t. It had to be something else. It had to be. 

“Chan we need to get help this is…”

Changbin was the only sensible one around. But Chan couldn’t move. Couldn’t leave the spot as he lowered Changbin to one of the tables. 

Was he even okay? Was Changbins face okay? 

“Seungmin…”

“Shut up, Chan.” Seungmin was pissed. 

“Seungmin this isn’t a joke...look at Changbin…”

“I can’t believe you’d go this far.”

Chan shook his head as he left Changbin, hand at Seungmin's shoulder only to be quickly brushed off, “Seung I didn’t lie to you. This is...this is all very real I swear…”

“Just stop.”

“You believe that I’d hurt Changbin?”

Seungmin turned, giving Seungmin a look, “I don’t know what to do, Chan. I don’t…”

“We agreed earlier...about Minho, remember?”

Chan felt that pain in his chest grow. 

“I didn’t fake that...you said it yourself. That it wasn’t...possible.”

Seungmin shifted his eyes to changbin then to chan, “When Felix gets here we should—“

“Felix did that to Changbin. Seungmin I don’t think he’d ever hurt anyone but...maybe I can believe that something is really wrong here.” He didn’t believe in ghosts. “I don’t trust Felix right now. We need to go.”

Seungmin inhaled deeply, “Chan I don’t…”

“I think something is wrong with Lix. I think this place is...Seungmin we need to get help.”

Seungmin opened his mouth to speak, eyes shifting and widening in terror. 

Terror. 

Chan gulped as he looked behind himself. Felix. 

But it was so bright behind him. So...unnaturally bright. 

This was a dream. It had to be. At this point nothing was real. 

Felix outstretched his arms, Changbin struggling to shuffle down the table from the man who was…

Felix tilted his head, eyes on fire. 

Literally. 

“You can’t leave Chan, none of you can leave…” 

How he was speaking...and how he was holding his calm was impossible. This was impossible. 

Felix...if this was Felix, he was on fire. He was burning. He was just lit up. Burning. 

“Felix?” Seungmin backed up, hand gripping onto chans jacket, “Felix what are you—“

“You have to stay.” Felix repeated, head cracking as it jolted to the side, eyes on Changbin way too hard. 

And as much as Chan wanted to run and grab his friend, the fear of watching felix's mouth and eyes outstretched in this horrific and impossible scream had Seungmin dragging him away. 

And within seconds everything went white. 

Like a bolt of lightning had gone off. 

When Chan's eyes adjusted he was shaking. It was so dark. So dark but at least he could see Seungmin beside him. 

Seungmin was crying, shaky and eyes wide. 

“Seungmin…?” Chan could barely speak, his throat so unbelievably dry. 

“Chan what the fuck just happened...what the fuck…?”

“I don’t...I don’t know. I...Seungmin I couldn’t fake that you know I…”

“I know. I know I…” Seungmin whimpered, holding Chan so tight as he broke the space between them, arms tight around chans waist as he held and shuddered against him. 

Seungmin was freezing. Hell, Chan was freezing. He could see his breath. 

“We have to...Seungmin we need to go.”

“Chan I…”

Chan held Seungmin close, pressing tiny kisses into the mans hair as his eyes adjusted. He could see a lone door. And nothing else. 

“Seungmin we should...we can’t stay here.”

“That was...how did he?”

“Seungmin.”

Seungmin looked up from his place in Chan’s neck, eyes full of sorrow. Chan just wanted to hold him forever. Right here. 

“Let’s go, okay?”

Chan just wanted to leave. To get Seungmin out of there. 

So within moments Seungmin nodded, taking chans hand tight, arm looped around chans to insure they’d be close like glue. 

And they were walking forward. Towards that menacing door. 

Chans heart dropped as they reached, letters scratching along the panel slowly. 

Jeongin. 

“What the fuck Chan…” Seungmin sobbed, clutching to chan with a new fear, “what the fuck is going on?”

Chan could barely manage his own strength as he grabbed the door knob. It was a little warm. Warmer than this room. 

“Let’s go...okay?”

Seungmin took a deep breath, leaning his head into chans before nodding. 

Chan opened the door. And it stung. But he figured it wouldn’t be sunshine. Or the exit. 

But he didn’t think it would be this. 

Jeongin. He was hanging, swinging slowly. 

It hurt. 

Chan couldn’t handle the strained sob that left Seungmin’s throat as he left chan's embrace, desperately asking jeongin to answer him. 

It stung. 

“Jeongin please...can you please get up please?”

He was dead. He was dead. He was swinging slowly, face blue and neck so...he was dead. 

“Jeongin I...Jeongin come on…”

“Seungmin he—”

Chan’s face fell. 

Seungmin sobbed as he dropped to his knees, “Chan help get him down please I can’t get him down I—“

Chan couldn’t register. He couldn’t. He knew it was coming. He knew it. But it hurt. It hurt so bad and Chan could barely hold his own sob as he drew a deep breath, fingers reaching to drag along the name that had freshly scratched into the door. 

Minho. 

This felt like a game. A joke. But it wasn’t. His friends weren’t a joke. Minho especially wasn’t...that was his best friend. And even if deep down he knew, it still...he didn’t want it to be real. 

“Chan please…”

“Seungmin we need to keep going…”

“What are you talking about!? Chan help me…”

“He’s gone Seung...he’s gone.” Chan couldn’t pry his hand from the door, “we have to keep going...we have to.”

“Chan I can’t...I can’t do this—“

“Minho…”

Seungmin shook his head, “Chan we can’t. This isn’t funny. This isn’t—“

“I have to...I have to go.”

“Chan…”

Chan parted with the door, out stretching his hand to the man weeping on the floor, “Seung...come on.”

Seungmin took a moment, shaking his head as he sniffles before taking Chan’s hand tight, shakily standing. 

“We just...have to keep going.”

Keep going. 

Chan felt so numb. So fucking hurt as he pushed through that second door, chains swinging from the ceiling all around the room. 

And that horrific sound from the walkie. The dripping. 

“Chan…”

“We have to keep...going.” Chan breathed out as he lured Seungmin around the chains, trying his hardest not to disturb them. 

“Chan…”

Chan could see. He could see the red at the ground. He could see the swinging hand soaked in blood. He could see it. 

Seungmin turned away, another choked sob leaving his throat as Chan stared in awe. 

Minho had called out for him. So many times. Chan knew that whatever had happened to him was bad but...Chan could barely make out his friend. Barely make out anything other than the swinging hand that hung from the mangled corpse. 

Mangled. 

Chan wanted to vomit. 

Seungmin did that for him, coughing and shaking at the ground again. He couldn’t handle this. 

Chan couldn’t handle it. 

At least Jeongin looked peaceful. Chan couldn’t even find Minho’s face. He knew he was upside down. He could see the yellow jacket soaked in blood. He could see his blue hair...Chan collapsed onto his knees, blood soaking into his own ridiculously colored orange pants. 

“Minho…”

The dreadful feeling in his chest had increased tenfold. 

He knew they must have all been dead. But this? This was minho. This was his best friend. Right here. Mangled in chains beyond recognition. 

Those screams made sense now. Minho had been completely crushed by these chains. God...if Chan didn’t know any better he’d fear they’d strangle him at any second. 

But Chan could see the door ahead. He could hear the scratching. Another name. Another friend. Another dead body. 

Chan grabbed the bloody hand, eyes watering at how cold he felt. How stiff. 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you in time. I’m so sorry, Min.”

“Chan….the door.” Seungmin was wiping his mouth, eyes sore and red from his tears as he pointed to the door, “Chan I can’t I can’t see this anymore. I can’t…”

It was getting so cold in the room. 

This was a game. The rooms felt warm so briefly, and then they didn’t. 

“Seungmin...lets…” Chan glanced to where he hoped Minho’s face was supposed to be, trying to scan for any sign of his friend before releasing the cold hand, “we...we have to go, okay?”

“Jisung...it says Jisung. I can’t do this. I can’t.”

“I...Seungmin it’s cold. We…” Chan could barely register. He gave Minho’s corpse a solemn glance before helping Seungmin back up. 

Drip. 

“Come on…” 

Jisungs door was warm. So much warmer than Minho’s had been. 

Chan hated this game. He wanted out so badly. 

Seungmin pushed the door open, collapsing into Chan with a strained cry. He couldn’t handle anymore of this. But Chan could feel the continuance. He knew there’d be more doors. He knew they’d find Changbin and Hyunjin behind these doors. Felix too, whatever he was he’d be here too. They’d all be there. And it stung. It stung so bad. 

“Jisung...Jisung—“ Seungmin couldn't even look, he buried his face into Chan, wetness coating the front of his shirt. It may have been tears but Chan figured it was sweat too. 

Jisung didn’t look as bad as Minho did, thankfully...in a way he looked peaceful too. Chan felt like such a dick for his thoughts. He found it unfair how Jeongin and Jisung looked so peaceful while Minho looked so horrifically disfigured. 

Chan pushed forwards with Seungmin, running fingers down his back as they made their way passed the tiny man in the chair, scratches at his ankles but face untouched. He was blue too. And wet. 

Jisung must have drowned. His lips were so blue. Drowning made sense. 

“He…”

“Shush...we’re gonna keep going, okay?”

“Jisung...I—“

Seungmin was so incoherent. So damaged. Seungmin never saw this coming. Neither did chan. How could they? 

“I’m sorry...let’s keep—“

Hyunjin. 

Chan took a deep breath. 

Hyunjin. 

He reached for the door. It was so warm. So warm that Chan yanked it fast only to shake his head in disgust. 

This was so unfair. This was so fucking unfair. Chan felt selfish for being mad. He felt so horrible for being mad at the state of his team compared to Seungmin’s. While Jeongin and Jisung looked at peace, Minho was mangled beyond recognition and now Hyunjin lay against the wall with his eyes smashed in, jaw torn down and tongue hanging in a way Chan never wanted to see. 

“Chan—“

Chan held Seungmin’s head down, shaking his own head as he inched through the room, eyes glued to the state of his friend, walkie tight in his bloody grasp. 

Unfair. Hyunjin and Minho didn’t deserve this. Hell, none of them did but Chan couldn’t shake the anger of the differences he was seeing. 

Was it because they thought ghosts were a joke?! 

“Chan I want to…”

“No. No you don’t.” Chan hissed, Inching towards the next door. 

It was unfair. 

Changbin. 

It was so unfair and Chan wanted to cry. He wanted to break down. His entire team was dead. His best friends were dead. And for what?

He’d be dead soon too, wouldn’t he?

Seungmin wedged up, opening the door with a soft whine, shaking his hand as if the door had been too hot to enter. 

Chan wanted to scream. He wanted to curse and fight. He wanted to do so much. But he couldn’t. 

Changbin sat hunched against the table Chan had left him on, mouth wide and hands frozen over his eyes. 

He was stiff. 

He was burnt up. 

Burnt into a black pile. One touch and he’d probably crumble. 

“Jesus Christ, Chan…”

Chan ignored him. His anger was growing in his stomach. His jealousy. This was so fucked up. So fucked. Changbin looked so scared. Like Minho and Hyunjin, there was no peace in this. No peace. 

“Felix…” Seungmin took a deep breath, “Felix is...Chan let’s get this over with?”

Chan felt enraged. He let Seungmin go, pulling the door open and ignoring how his hand had practically stuck to the knob for a moment, his skin coming off in response, glued to the knob. It was that hot. 

His rage grew. Another peaceful...this was bullshit. Chan studied Felix as Seungmin slipped in behind, kneeling down to the freckled man who looked untouched. 

“He looks…”

Not even burnt. So whatever they’d seen earlier wasn’t Felix. It wasn’t. 

“Peaceful.” Chan snapped, fists clenched. The hand with the peeled skin stung. He could feel the blisters forming from the heat. But he didn’t care. He couldn’t focus. This was so fucking unfair. 

“He’s not breathing he...Chan when will this end I...we’re dreaming right?”

Chan couldn’t look at him. He was so mad. He was so fucking mad. 

“Chan…?”

“Let’s go.” Chan stormed passed, the final door not budging as Chan slipped his hand over it.  
No words formed either. 

“It won’t open…?” Seungmin pulled up, sniffling behind as he cupped chans hand. 

Ah. 

Both of their names formed. Followed by question marks. Which was a fucking joke. 

Chan clenched his jaw as he pulled the door open, room empty. 

“Chan…?” Seungmin moves his hand, slipping into the room shakily, “Chan...there’s the exit.”

The exit. Chan shuddered at the thought. 

But that rage inside of him. That rage was calling. 

“Chan we can go get help...Chan?”

Chans eyes were filled with flames. He was so mad. He was so mad. Why was he so mad? 

“Why did my friends…”

“Chan?” Seungmin wiped his eyes, “Chan I’m so sorry about...Chan this was sick and twisted but we have to go, okay?”

“Why did my friends suffer like that why…”

Chan’s eyes widened as tiny monitors around them began to flicker. He could see everyone. Everyone was screaming, suffering their various…

Chan heard Seungmin whimper as he watched Jeongin hang. 

He just hung?! He wasn’t being squeezed to death like a slushie!? Chan watched Minho’s cam close, the sound of his best friend wailing in agony as the chains wrapped around him. 

Jisung screamed but he drowned. He was just drowning. He was just. 

Hyunjin was screaming. He was getting his eyes raked out by some child ghost...ghost!? 

Seungmin whimpered, Chan could see Felix being grabbed by some woman. She was scary looking but he just collapsed. He didn’t suffer. 

Not like Changbin who sat in terror as he was engulfed in flames. He was screaming so loud. 

His friends screams were conquering the one scream from Jisung. 

This was so unfair. This was so unfair. 

“Chan lets go...I want to leave.”

“Look at my friends...look at my team.”

“Chan…”

Seungmin was inching towards the door, sobbing hysterically like he deserved to. 

He didn’t deserve to sob like that. 

This was unfair. 

His friends had suffered while Seungmin’s had died peacefully enough. 

This was bullshit. 

“Chan you’re...Chan it’s so cold we have to go.” 

Chan could see Seungmin’s breath. It was cold. Actually it was icy cold. Ice was even wrapping around the monitors. 

The exit looked so warm. 

“Chan lets…”

Seungmin ran for the exit, hand at the handle as Chan ran after him, encasing Seungmin tightly, holding him so tight that he couldn’t pull the door open. 

“Chan what are you doing!?”

Chan didn’t know. Chan just growled softly into Seungmin’s neck, dragging him to the floor as he wrapped himself around the man. He was stronger. He could hold Seungmin. 

“Chan let go!” Seungmin was shivering, skin so icy as the ground started to cover in ice. 

Chan closed his eyes, burying his face as he kept his grasp on Seungmin. Despite the kicking and screaming he wouldn’t let him go. 

It wasn’t fair. Chan knew there was no exit. That door would just lead to their demise. 

And it wasn’t fair. 

Chan’s would be painful and scary. And Seungmin’s would be peaceful, right? 

He couldn’t have that. 

“Ch-Chan!” 

It was so cold. Chan held tight as ice started to form at his lashes, following the tears that were stuck in his eyes. 

It was freezing. Chan couldn’t even feel Seungmin anymore, arms around the man tight. 

Seungmin stopped kicking, stopped screaming. He just started to whimper and whine, begging Chan to go to the exit with him. 

But the exit was useless. 

Chan gazed up. 

There was no exit. 

There was nothing but the scratched smiley face and a couple of handprints. 

There was no door. 

Chan held Seungmin as tight as he could, leaning into Seungmin’s remaining warmth, eyes too frozen over for him to see now. 

He was so cold. 

They were so cold. 

The monitors went silent. The room went silent. 

Seungmin went silent. 

And Chan soon fell silent as well.

**Author's Note:**

> A L S O 
> 
> I don’t know why on earth I have to do this but please do not reupload my work under any circumstances. If you’d like to for any reason please message me first, do not reupload my work. If you see my works on wattpad please report them, I will never grant permission for wattpad.  
> [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/skzorcism)  
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/Str4y)


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